CHEVRON

The Japanese government and local companies will buy a 10 percent stake in Chevron Corp. (CVX)'s Wheatstone natural gas field in Australia for 350 billion yen ($4.37 billion), Nikkei newspaper reported.

Ukrainian Prime Minster Mykola Azarov announced on Tuesday that Ukraine will ramp up its natural gas production by up to 25 percent over the next three years, a move that could help the country break free of its energy dependence on neighboring Russia.

A group of Chevron Corp., shareholders has asked that the Securities and Exchange Commission investigate claims the oil major is not fully disclosing the effect that a multi-billion dollar environmental case in Ecuador would have on the company and its numerous stakeholders.

The corporate members of ALEC task forces was revealed by the watchdog group Common Cause.

Disappointing jobs growth in the U.S., together with shrinking manufacturing and services activity in the euro zone, had equities and commodities in retreat and bond yields down. News this weekend isn't likely to calm jitters, with elections in both Greece and France, which may get its first new socialist president since 1981.

The Obama administration will reportedly restrict hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, by promulgating a set of rules governing such practices on federal land.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Friday are: DigitalGlobe Inc, Linkedin Corporation, Veolia Environnement, Deutsche Bank, The Dow Chemical Company, Northstar Realty Finance Corp and Seadrill Ltd American International Group Inc.

Woodside Petroleum Limited (AX: WPL) sold a 14.7 percent stake in its Browse liquid natural gas (LNG) development project for $2 billion to a Japanese joint venture operated by Mitsui & Company Limited and Mitsubishi Corporation, the Australian company announced Tuesday.

Stocks rose modestly on Friday, putting equities on track for a fourth day of gains as more strong earnings partially offset a weaker-than-expected reading on economic growth.

Stocks edged higher on Friday, again driven by strong corporate earnings that partially offset a weaker-than-expected reading on economic growth, extending three days of gains.

Futures on major US stock indices remained range-bound Friday ahead of the release of the economic data, which include key GDP figures.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) will increase its quarterly dividend 21 percent to become the largest corporate dividend payer, according to Standard & Poor's on Wednesday.

Spanish oil company Repsol threatened on Monday legal action against any investors helping newly nationalized Argentine oil company YPF develop oil resources previously discovered by the Spanish firm.

China produces 97 percent of the world's rare earths, minerals that are critical for the production of everything from cell phones to missiles -- and now it wants to keep more of them for itself. The world is worried, but there may be little it can do.

Earnings season is in full swing, and about 80 percent of the companies that have already reported topped estimates. We ran a screen and produced a list of 50 key companies set to report their earnings between April 23 and 27.

Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW), the second-largest chemical company by revenue, said Thursday it will build an ethylene plant in Texas to take advantage of the sharply lower costs of natural gas feedstock, something its foreign rivals cannot take advantage of.

The CEO of the biggest oil company in one of the world's fastest-rising economies thinks high oil prices are here to stay.

He's the flashiest tycoon in one of Asia's poorest cities, with a canary-yellow Lamborghini parked outside his neoclassical mansion.

A Judge in Rio de Janeiro state in Brazil blocked a request that Chevron and Transocean's operations in that country be halted following two offshore oil spills.

A small band of protesters gathered outside the home of Chevron CEO John Watson on Tuesday following a California report accusing the oil giant of not paying its fair share of taxes.

A judge in Brazil gave permission to one of the 17 Chevron and Transocean employees facing criminal charges over a November offshore oil spill to leave the country, documents released by a federal court on Wednesday showed.